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Few things compare to the genius of certain Irish Mammy statements, this has become a recognised fact. However it’s also true that many of her statements especially around appearance were wildly irritating. Annoyingly many of them have been proved correct and it turns out the mammy is something of a skincare guru. Below are some of the Irish Mammy’s top skincare secrets.

“Wear sun cream everyday”

Ha! You scoff. Can’t you see its lashing rain outside woman where would I be going with sun cream and anyway it’s a tan I want. Lovely tanned skin… Embrace my pale? You Are Insane. That is all. Fast forward ten years and everyone who’s anyone in skincare is harping on about how the best aging prevention is to wear SPF. Every Single Day. It’s all to do with those pesky UVA/UVB rays that mean rain or shine your skin is being damaged without it. Also the lovely tanned skin? Seven words – Your face will look like a handbag. These days I’m lashing on SPF 30 every day and gulp – embracing my pale.

“Smoking is the fast track to wrinkles”

Unfortunately she was right. According to experts apart from sun damage this is the most aging thing you can do to your face. It breaks down the collagen in your skin which is what keeps our face plump (in a good way – yes really!) and youthful. Smokers have more wrinkles than non-smokers especially around their mouth and lips. Not something I took much notice of when I was 18. Wrinkles were for old people you see, I reasoned, and by the time I’m old who’ll care what I look like? Unfortunately it turns out most people start seeing wrinkles much earlier than I thought… turns out old may be more like mid-20s. I have found myself looking intently into mirrors for new lines and cursing every one of those silk cuts I lovingly inhaled and wishing I listened to the Mammy’s advice.

“Water is the best beauty secret and it’s free”

Water is boring was my standard response. Turns out annoyingly once again the mammy was right. There is a reason all the models swear by it. Water detoxes your system, hydrates you from the inside out, keeps you feeling full for longer and gives your skin a glow and is yes indeed free! Sigh, another point to the Mammy.

“Face wipes are the devil”

Not literally of course. No good Catholic Irish mammy would say such a thing but that was the unspoken message. “Nothing will dry out your skin as fast as those you may as well wash your face with paint stripper why can’t you use a proper cleanser” she says? Polite answer “too much hassle”. More accurate answer – If you think I’m going to faff about with all that cleansing malarkey when I can barely see what way my bed is after a night out you have another thing coming. Turns out though, face wipes are horror of horrors terrible for your skin. I know I know they’re so handy, but trust me ditch the wipes and you’ll be amazed how much better your skin will look almost immediately. Also thanks to the lovely and cheap additions of micellar waters to the beauty world, make up removal is almost as easy. Just dollop some onto a cotton pad, swipe across your face like you would your wipe and ta dah panda eyes be gone!